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Raleigh, N.C. — After 40 minutes of reports and discussion over pending and potential moped regulations, about half the crowd on hand for Tuesday's transportation oversight committee meeting headed for the exits.

In fact, mopeds have been packing rooms around the General Assembly for a few years now, as lawmakers have taken various passes at regulating the small bikes, which are supposed to be limited to 50-cc engines and going 30 mph. During the 2014 session, lawmakers required that all mopeds be registered, something due to start happening July 1.

"All the citizens of your district are paying more for their uninsured (motorist) coverage because we don't require mopeds to have insurance," said Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell.

Across the state, there were 833 accidents involving mopeds in the state during 2013, according to a report from the DMV. Requiring insurance would ensure that other drivers don't pay for accidents caused by moped riders.

That case has been made in prior years and frequently runs up against a desire not to price people out of the only kind of transportation they may be able to afford or want.

"That's what concerns me in some of this legislation is that we’re making it too strenuous for the folks that really use these vehicles, if you want to call them that, for their mode of transportation," said Sen. Brent Jackson, R-Sampson.

John Hill, a Greensboro moped dealer and a member of the North Carolina Motorcycle Dealers Association, said that moped riders are being blamed for accidents being caused by people who are riding bigger bikes illegally.

"The mopeds that are going 30 mph on a college campus or an urban area ... are not the ones in your fatality records," Hill said.

Rather, he said, some riders were ordering bikes outside of the state that had bigger than 50-cc engines and were capable of going faster than 30 mph. Although there aren't hard and fast numbers to bear that out, DMV data does show that many of the fatal accidents involving mopeds do happen on higher-speed roads.

Hill warned that overly broad legislation could require riders of even smaller electric bicycles, which use a battery to help people pedal, to obtain insurance.

Aside from requiring insurance, other potential changes the DMV has suggested to the General Assembly include:

prohibiting mopeds from driving on roads posted at 45 mph or greater

prohibiting those who have lost their driver's licenses due to drinking while driving from riding mopeds

requiring that moped riders have a driver's license or state-issued identification card

It's unclear how many of those recommendations will find favor during the legislative session, which gets underway in earnest on Wednesday. The official report from the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Transportation relayed information but made no recommendations, meaning no one idea is coming in with a leg up over another.

"I have real hesitation about the DWI language, especially for one-time offenders," Jeter said. If "we’re dealing with multiple offenses and things like that, I think it’s a different discussion. But I think we've got to be mindful that, most of the time, especially outside of college campuses, these people are using these to get to employment, which is good for the state."

Johnny ByrdJan 28, 2015

Where is it written that ThePoor, TheDowntrodden, TheDisenfranchised are the central and primary concern in all matters, everywhere, all the time?

— Posted by 50s Child

Amen to that brother. Amen and Amen.Sick and tired of the responsible, hardworking class being held prisoner by irresponsible low life's who feel they are owed a free ride.

68_dodge_polaraJan 28, 2015

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Where is it written that ThePoor, TheDowntrodden, TheDisenfranchised are the central and primary concern in all matters, everywhere, all the time?

— Posted by 50s Child

The real concern is getting drunks off the roads and keeping them off.

Larry LynchJan 28, 2015

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ive been here a lot longer than you, so I might would say the same about you. there's the difference, I don't care what you call yourself

— Posted by Bobby Caudle

DUDE I was posting on wral go lo before you had even found the website.... so go away or get another name. wildpig

50s ChildJan 28, 2015

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Just one more thing to make life even tougher for the poor and down trodden. It is sickening to hear some legislator make unfounded comments about accident causation, especially when he knows full well the idea of requiring moped riders to have insurance is the brainchild of the greedy insurance industry, A pathetic bunch!

— Posted by Inter Alios

Where is it written that ThePoor, TheDowntrodden, TheDisenfranchised are the central and primary concern in all matters, everywhere, all the time?

Rebelyell55Jan 28, 2015

More goverment control, another right being taken away, yet some just don't get it. If this passes, in the end, it'll cost the tax payers more money. Certainly won't save any, since someone going to pay and the only ones benefiting are the insurance co. There are far more riding these thing because it's the only transportation they can afford, nothing to d with DUI. As the population grows you'll see more these in cities all round as cheap easy way to get around towns. As for bike riders, I've seen them being more careless and not obeying the rules of the road than I've seen these scooter/moped riders.

50s ChildJan 28, 2015

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So how would you have gotten to work without a moped?

Yeah, technically it's only a moped if it has pedals.

— Posted by Rodney Hill

"So", "yeah", try it again in coherent English.

Bobby CaudleJan 28, 2015

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[quote=14395511]Post by WLDPIG[/quote you need to get a new name dude and quit coasting off of mine.

— Posted by Larry Lynch

ive been here a lot longer than you, so I might would say the same about you. there's the difference, I don't care what you call yourself

Larry LynchJan 28, 2015

[quote=14395511]Post by WLDPIG[/quote you need to get a new name dude and quit coasting off of mine.

68_dodge_polaraJan 28, 2015

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I thought the laws had already changed to allow faster mopeds/scooters. I see so many of them going faster than 30 mph. If it's not legal for them to do that, the police should be stopping them and impounding them.

— Posted by George Herbert

It's as simple as putting a 50 sticker over top of the 150 or 200 or whatever it might be. No cop is really going to verify the displacement. All of them need to be impounded if they don't have license and insurance. Problem solved.

Mr. Middle of the RoadJan 28, 2015

More government by the 'less government party'. I wonder if the fact that so many of our current GA are insurance agents and the new law will require insurance has anything to do with it? Hmm.